This move by Infosys mirrors a similar effort by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which introduced its ‘Prime’ program last year. TCS’s ‘Prime’ offers competitive salaries ranging from ₹9 to ₹11 lakh per annum, focusing on hiring freshers with skills in emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning. TCS also offers other categories of hiring including ‘Ninja’ with salaries of around ₹3.6 lakh and ‘Digital’ at ₹7.5 lakh.

The IT sector, currently navigating a challenging macroeconomic environment, has seen a reduction in overall headcount among major firms. In fiscal 2024, the top five IT companies in India collectively cut over 70,000 jobs. Infosys, in particular, experienced a decrease of nearly 2,000 employees from April to June, bringing its total count to 315,332. Despite these reductions, Infosys plans to hire between 15,000 and 20,000 new graduates in FY25, while TCS aims to maintain its hiring numbers from the previous year.

HCLTech and Wipro are also contributing to the hiring drive, with plans to add 10,000 and up to 12,000 freshers respectively. The evolving hiring trends reflect the IT sector’s shift towards more agile recruitment processes and a focus on specialized skills.